Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

We had a blissful, restful holiday. We missed seeing out-of-town family, but the adults in the house are well-rested. The downside is the boys are getting bored just being at home and playing all day. Alex's best friend is out of town all week, so that adds to the pouting . I'm not very creative about finding new things to do, or fun things to do... We have another wedding on Saturday, so that will be an adventure. Alex gets to go to the office with Mommy later today. I'm sure that will be diversion. Not a great diversion, but at least a change of scenery!

I love Christmas. I always have. But, I'm already eager to take down the decorations and have a less cluttered house. I'm trying to wait till Jan. 1 to take down the tree and lights outside. Something about Christmas is all about anticipation and expectation. Once it is here, it seems old. (I won't touch the theological implications of that...I'm sure there are great lessons to be learned. ) Anyway, I guess I wish society would encourage us to WAIT to celebrate until closer to the day, and then to enjoy the 12 days of Christmas AFTER the day. I guess I could wait to put up my decorations until just before the day, and not do what everyone else does, but when all the other Christmas lights are up, I hate to have a bare house. So, I guess I follow the crowd. And I don't want to wait 'till the last minute, 'cause then it is just another thing that needs to be done...

TV and Computer

How much is too much? Obviously, all day is too much. But... We try very hard not to let the boys watch TV or play on the computer too much, but it is SO EASY to let them watch. I can get things done! We play a game with Joseph to keep him off the TV and the computer. The computer is unplugged, from the back, so he can't turn it on himself. He is trying hard, and can almost do it, but not quite. The TV remote downstairs is hidden. We spend a lot of time finding and losing it ourselves. Joseph spends enormous energy dragging chairs all over the house looking for it. The small TV upstairs was rigged with so he couldn't turn it on, but over time, he has figured out all of our tricks. Now we unplug it and put it in our bedroom. He gets it, lifts it and plugs it back in whenever he is given a chance. We usually lock our bedroom to prevent it. As Dave says, you've got to admire his determination and problem solving skills. Well, we are just about out of ways to stop him. And??? If we are careful about WHAT they watch? Is it so terrible? Millions of children are being raised on a steady diet of TV. I don't have the stomach for that, but??? I've tried to limit to an hour or two per day? If I let him have more will he eventually get bored with TV? I want to be able to USE TV when I need it. I don't want him to be bored by it...

Suggestions?

School's Out

I think Alex has mixed feelings. He loves school and two weeks seems like a big break. He cleaned out all the school supplies from his desk and hauled it all home. Too funny! Maybe he thinks we will start all over with new crayons, pencils and markers. (Maybe we will! Santa is bringing him a new backpack--With Superman on it. He will be thrilled!)

I have mixed feelings, also. There is a lot we can do, and I'm sure we will have a good time, but I'm also sure I'll be happy to go back to school myself!

Krista's Wedding

We went to Krista's wedding Saturday night. Krista is one of Joseph's beloved ABA tutors. She was a beautiful bride. The boys behaved very well, for the most part, and we had a nice evening. The boys also looked devestatingly cute in their Christmas sweaters.

We were able to meet another of Krista's families. Their son Ben, like Joseph, has always signed and never spoken, although he isn't and never has been hearing impaired. He is 13 or maybe 14 now. He has started to speak. Just in the past six months. What a story! His speech isn't clear, but he has a lot of words, I think she said hundreds. She credits the language he developed signing. And he never voiced sounds, although the speech therapists tried and tried, he just started to use whole words. He now uses the words he knows as he reads, and signs the rest of the words. He is a marvel. He isn't close to being "typical," but what a great improvement. He still signs most of what he wants to say, but he can use his voice, and I bet he gets more and more vocal over time. The autisim spectrum is such a mystery. I don't expect that Joseph will follow the same path, but it does reinforce the hope that we all have, and the hope that never goes away, that he will continue to develop more and more language in some form.

Pare as we Prepare

This was the topic of our sermon on Sunday. A familiar message, but one I need to hear over and over. Rev. Leety talked about how the root of both words is the same, about how "pare" means to slim, or literally to "give birth." I'm not sure I rememberr all he said quite right, but you get the idea: pare, slim, give birth, prepare for the birth of Jesus by paring. I've heard it over and over, but I'm trying hard to do it this year.

I baked for the cookie party yesterday, and now there is no need to bake more until very close to the day. I'll make Dave's Kifli and my Cinamon Rolls on the 23rd or 24th. If we want to decorate cookies during the week between Christmas and New Years, I'll bake sugar cookies then. I don't need to do it now. I can cut out some of the frantic preparation.

The house wasn't spotless, the decorations were not perfect for the cookie party, but we had a great time. I cut my expectations a bit, and it was fine.

I don't have tons of gifts for the boys, but I have enough. They will have lots of packages to open. Some will have undies in them, but that is fun to open, too.

I do have a great gift for Dave--Can't tell 'till after the day just in case he reads this. Basically, I'm done shopping.

I've still not done with everything on my list from last week, but I'm working on it!

Confession

I have the Advent Calendar out, I bought cute toys/trinkets to put in it, and I never put them in. I planned to put something in each day, one day at a time so the boys couldn’t cheat. Well, I never remember, the boys don’t think of it, and it is one of those holiday things that sounds like such a good idea and just doesn’t work in this house. Two typical boys wouldn’t let me forget, would they? Two typical boys might even be able to wait to open the next day’s window for the next day. One typical mom could remember to put the stuff in every day. I keep hoping our lives will resemble typical lives, but, alas, they don’t. Anyway, since I’d blogged about my great Advent calendar and all the cool toys I was going to buy for it, I felt it was important to report that it looks festive, and the boys are enjoying all the cool trinkets I bought to put in it, but that they are not enjoying them one day at a time. And you know what? I think Christmas will come to our house anyway, even if we don’t count the days systematically!

When Men Get Sick

Caution, may be sexist and offensive to some.

I'm hoping Dave doesn't see this, 'cause I have to vent... Why are men such babies when they get sick? Please, please, please, let me raise my boys to be reasonable men when they are sick. Dave has stomach flu. Very unpleasant. We all know it is not fun at all. I'm willing to be helpful, supportive, sympathetic, etc. etc. But does he have to whine so much? Maybe I, too, whine this much when I’m sick, but I don’t think so. Nobody stays around to listen to me. Also, he is supposed to drive to Dayton today for a convention. He was there all day yesterday,. He has two people helping him. He sent them to Dayton this morning by themselves, but insists he must go to Dayton to help them pack up the van and bring the unsold things back to Columbus. Somehow, he thinks two reasonably intelligent, capable adults can’t do this without him. I’m afraid he will just make it harder to recover his strength, and he will spend even more time cluttering up the house being whiney. Just be sick, stay in bed, watch TV, sleep, eat jello, and get well. Life would be much simpler if everyone in my house did things my way. But then, what fun would that be.